Talk:Recent

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18th June

Norfolk Way, Bishop's Stortford - an adult Common Tern (with food) was observed flying over Norfolk Way approx 09.00 hrs - a somewhat unusual occurrence in Town; rather suggests there is a lake nearby with a breeding pair on it (surely too far way from the Hatfield Forest ternery). Dave Sampson

16th June

Amwell NR - wood sandpiper (from new white hide until 1528hrs only), green sandpiper, cettis warbler, 2 spotted flycatcher - per RBA

15th June

Thorley Park - Red Kite Adult Red Kite seen over Thorley Park about 11.30am - flying in a westerly direction. Don't think it is the same bird as the 'unusually plumaged etc' bird seen at Sheering recently (see Stort Valley Wild site) as it didn't seem as 'tatty'as that individual and the plumage colours looked 'normal'. - Dave Sampson

Farnham Road Herts - Common Buzzard

Nino Wood area - Common Buzzard - Mick East

SAL (09:20-10:10) - 1 G C Grebe, 2 Little Grebe (Small lag), 65 Mallard (30 ads, 35 juvs), 3 Teal (MMF), 13 Tufted Duck, 1 Canada Goose, 1 Kestrel, 1 Green Woodpecker, 35 Swift, 10+ Sand Martin, 2 Skylark, 3 Reed Warbler (singing males), 2 Whitethroat (ditto), 3 Willow Warbler (ditto) , 1 Pr Chiffchaff, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer

6 Black tailed Skimmer (5M 1F), 2 Common Blue D/Fly, 5 Common Blue Butterfly (all males), 1 Meadow Brown - Mike Harris

SLRS (10:30-11:30) - 3 Cormorant (all in Corm tree), 1F Canada and her three hybrid young looking more like Canada's now!), 1 Kestrel, 3 Ad Lapwing, 1 Herring Gull (2nd Sum), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 G S Woodpecker , 2 Prs Whitethroat carrying food (one at South end and one at Railway crossing) 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler (JS), 1M Reed Bunting, - Mike Harris John Slee and Kevin Hanrahan

14th June

Patient End - Little Owl - Mick East

13th June

Furneax Pelham - Little Owl

Barley North - Barn Owl 06:00 - Mick East

11th June

Bishop's Stortford (Hockerill area) - 1020 am. Fleeting glimpse of 3 'Egret' type heading North (all white - legs well projected).- Ian Gray

8th June

Patmore Heath - Common Buzzard X3 - Mick East

7th June

SAL (16:30-17:30)

4 L Grebe (pr on small lagoon and calling birds on the other lagoons, so possible three pairs now) 21 Mallard (plus 5 broods - 11,7,4,4,4 - all well grown apart from one brood of 4 day olds), 1M Teal, 24 Tufted Duck, 12 Swift, 4 Swallow, 10 House Martin, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Reed Warbler singing) 2 Willow Warbler (ditto), 1 Chiffchaff (ditto)

SLRS (17:45-18:05) - 30 Mallard ( + several broods - impossible to count now), 1F Canada ( + dubious offspring), 6 Coot ( + 2 broods), 2 Lapwing (Both Adults and probably both Males) - Mike Harris

6th June

Stortford park farm - little owl at roundabout - Graeme J. Smith

4th June

between mathams pit and the black barn - grey partridge 2

trimms green - yellow wagtail male still singing from same spot

hayter, spellbrook - jay (young bird seen two days in a row at suspected nest site is my first ever confirmed breeding record!) - Graeme J Smith

1st June

Newport - 1f Marsh Harrier (over meadows NW of the village @ 06:20am), 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (all 1S, N), 30+ Sand Martins, 20+ House Martins (over Sewage Works in early showers), 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1m Reed Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatchers (pair from last week at entrance to Sewage Works),Yesterday, a single tardy male Wheatear on Coploe Hill the only bird of note. - Stephen Patmore

Hatfield Forest Lake - Great Crested Grebe 6 young at least 6 young on the lake, looked like two pairs had bred. Common Tern sitting on raft. presume on eggs? - Pete Duxon

Sawbridgeworth Marsh (16:15-16:45)

A few singing Warblers despite the overcast conditions.

3 Reed Warbler 3 Sedge Warbler 1 Garden Warbler 2 Whitethroat 1 Chiffchaff Also two pairs of Reed Buntings, one pair feeding young.

SAL (17:15-18:00) - 3 Little Grebe (pair on small lagoon, plus one on Wader lagoon - they are beginning to arrive, albeit slowly), 22 Mallard (+ several broods), Pr Gadwall, 17 Tufted Duck (8 pairs + odd male), 14 Coot, 1 Kestrel, 1 L R Plover, 15 Swift, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Garden/Blackcap (Singing male, uttering phrases from each species, could not get a view to confirm either way)

SLRS (18:15-18:45) - 1M Gadwall (going into eclipse), 1 Hobby (in from East, but in hunting mode) 20 Stock Dove (on Chaff dump), 1F Whitethroat (Collecting food) - Mike Harris

31st May

SAL (07:30-08:05)- 2 Little Grebe (Small lagoon), 1 Cormorant (S), 17 Mallard (+ 4 Broods), 1M Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck (3pr), 8 LBB Gull (N @ 07:49 various ages, but no adults), 6 House Martin (collecting wet mud from track), 2 GreyWagtail, 2 Mistle Thrush (S), 3 Reed Warbler (singing males), 1 Garden Warbler (ditto), 3 Willow Warbler (ditto), 1 Chiffchaff (ditto), 2 Reed Bunting (ditto), 2 Yellowhammer (ditto)

SLRS (08:20-09:00) - 1 Cormorant (Corm tree), 1M Gadwall, Mixed Goose pair and hybrid young, 1F Kestrel, 1 Lapwing, 2 G S Woodpecker, 15 Swift, 3 Skylark, (No sign of last weeks M Yellow wagtail), 2 Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff, 1M Reed Bunting, Pr Yellowhammer (carrying food)

1 Small White (a bit early for Insects generally) - Mike Harris

29th May

Thorley Wash - GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Singing male heard at the southern end of the first fenced enclosure; though very low key song!! Also, a mating pair of Eyed Hawk Moths observed and photographed. - Dave Sampson

Hadham Ford - 2 red kites (circling over to the East of the village, 2 corn buntings (Ash Valley G.C.), treecreeper, bullfinch, common buzzard (with large prey), reed bunting, stock dove, house sparrow, corvids,tits (inc newly fledged LTT's) finches (4sp), hirundines, moorhen and mallard (with 1 week old brood) woodpeckers, (2sp)warblers (3sp) etc etc., - Jono Forgham

27th May

A120 - Common Buzzard X2

Patmore Heath - Common Buzzard - Mick East

25th May

SLRS - 3 Gadwall, The Hybrid Goose pair have refound the third ugly Gosling!, 1 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, 30 Barn Swallow, 20 House Martin

SAL - 2 LR Plover, 15 Sand Martin, - Mike Harris

24th May

SAL (06:00-06:45) - 1 Grey Heron, 41 Mallard (+ broods of 11, 2 & 2), 8 Tufted Duck, 14 Coot, 3 Lapwing, 2 L R Plover, 1 Swift (NE), 2 Stock Dove, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Skylark (singing males), 1 Pied Wagtail, 5 Reed Warbler (singing males), 1 Garden Warbler (ditto), 4 Willow Warbler (ditto), 1 Reed Bunting (ditto) , 2 Yellowhammer (ditto), 3 Linnet

SLRS (07:00-07:30) - 3 Gadwall (MMF), 2 Canada Goose (S), 1F Canada + 1M Greylag and two hybrid Goslings. 3 Lapwing, 1 Common Sandpiper, M Cuckoo, M Whitethroat, M Reed Bunting - Mike Harris

Millennium Wood, Bury Green - bullfinch 2, willow warbler 3+, chiffcaff 3+, blackcap 1, common whitethroat 2, reed bunting 2, green woodpecker 2, great spotted woodpecker 1, great black backed gull 2 north east, 2nd yr herring gull 1 south, linnets 2, swallows 8+, swifts 10+, usual corvids, finches and tits - Jono Forgham

23rd May

Hand Lane - Spotted Flycatcher catching insects at Hand Lane, opposite the entrance to Pishiobury Park carpark this evening at 17:00 - Mike Harris

20th May

Patmore Heath - Common Buzzard - Mick East

Amwell - Great Reed Warbler, James Hide

18th May

Hatfield Forest - Kite sp over - John Slee

SLRS - Breeding: 4 Mallard broods 8 - about a week old, 4 - about 2 weeks old (including Whitey), 4 - day olds, 4 - day olds, 1 Canada brood 3 goslings (3 adult birds too), 1 Coot brood 2 young, Also: Pair Gadwall, 1 Grey Lag, 1 Herring Gull (1st Sum flew N), 2 LBBG (N), 40 Stock Dove (on chaff dump)

Trims Green - 1 Hobby

Blounts Farm - M Kestrel, M Yellow Wagtail, M Pied Wagtail - Mike Harris

Coploe Hill,(15:15-16:15) - 10+ Common Buzzards, 6 Hobby (1 lingering, 2 singles N and party of 3), 27 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (NE), 391 Swifts (N/NE in 1hr), 2m Lesser Whitethroats - Stephen Patmore

17th May

SAL (08:00-09:00) - Wader lagoon water level now high again. 21 Mallard (+ broods of 5 & 2), 3 Tufted Duck (MMF), 8 Coot (big decrease in breeding pairs - no Little Grebes either), 1 Common Sandpiper, 20 Swift, 10 House Martin, 1 Sand Martin, 5 Swallow, 2 Skylark, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 7 Reed Warbler (all singing males), 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler (all singing males), 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Linnet, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Yellowhammer

SLRS (09:10-09:30) - 2 Cormorant (in Corm tree), 11 Mallard (+ broods of 6 & 3 - includes the white duckling), 1 Canada Goose, 1 Grey lag , 6 Coot, 1 Lapwing, 3 Stock Dove, 1M Cuckoo, 20 Swift 10 House Martin, 2 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Whitethroat, 50 Starling (Flock made up mostly of 1st brood 'Brown Sqawkers'), 1 Linnet, - Mike Harris

16th May

Henley Herne spring - corn bunting 1 singing just south east of spring c. 0640 hrs - Graeme J Smith

A120 - Black Kite today at around 14:30 flying east along the A120 north of Bishop's Stortford town centre.- Anita Harris

Birchanger Green Services - Goshawk? only a possible seen poorly & fairly briefly from the car but a buzzard-sized stocky, powerful greyish raptor heading directly away over the services. Drove round but couldn't relocate it. - James. A. Hanlon

15th May

Mathams Pit - Common Sandpiper, 10.10am - 10.30am Common Sandpiper, Swallows, Kestrel, Skylarks, Willow Warbler. No sign of tern. -

Amwell - Hobbies, 7 Hobbies, Cettis heard, Reed Warblers, Cuckoo. - Keith Watts

14th May

Stansted Airport - Montagu's harrier (1st sum f) present for 3 days around the runways (per rarebirdalert.com)- James. A. Hanlon

Mathams Pit . A superb summer plumaged Black Tern was seen at Mathams Pit (near Trims Green) from about 11.50 this morning. I viewed it from the (so called) public access immediately before the display saying no public right of way next to the Paint Balling place in Mathams Wood; the lake is perfectly viewable from here, and good views of the bird were had as it whisked constantly back and forth occasionally diving - for about an hour before I left, fully sated! Stephen was already on his way and he was able to view it after me. Presumably it will stay around a while - but no other terns present. Also in the area: Common Buzzard being harried by crows over Mathams Wood (possible breeding suspected as this is the second recent sighting here); a pair of Turtle Doves at Trims Green; 3 Yellow Wags; 2 male Corn Buntings; 2 Grey Partridges. - Dave Sampson

Newport SW - 1 Hobby, 2 Spotted Flycatchers (by railway line)

Matham's Wood - 5m Garden Warblers

Trimm's Green - 1 Common Buzzard, 3 Turtle Doves (1 near Blount's Fm, pair opposite Morris's Fm) 2 Yellow Wagtail

SLRS - 1 Little Ringed Plover (flew through calling)

SAL - 3 Common Sandpipers Also several Four-spotted Chasers and a single male Broad-bodied Chaser on the wing. - Sephen Patmore

Patmore Heath - Cuckoo

Fowlmere Airfield - Barn Owl 00:30 - Mick East

13th May

Patmore Heath - Common Buzzard, Red Kite,(11:03), Sparrowhawk, Mistle Thrush. - Mick East

SAL - 2 Common Sands, 10+ Swallows, 20+ House Martins, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1+m Reed Warbler, 1m Lesser Whitethroat, 2m Garden Warblers - Stephen Patmore

Little Hadham - hobby, 2 bullfinches, 3 robins, 5 yellowhammers, 1 pheasant, 6 common whitethroat, 3 blackcap, 1 lesser whitethraot, 1 wren, 2 greenfinch, 2 chaffinch, 50+ wood pigeons, 20+ rooks, great tits, 2 blue tits, 1 blackbird, 1 song thrush, plus 6 orange tips, 4 small whites, 2 large whites, 3 speckled wood, 1 peacock, plenty of rabbits (hence 3 foot chicken wire fence around my patch), 1 hare, 1 fox cub - Jono Forgham

11th May

Patmore Heath - Hobby

Albury TTV - Common Buzzard X3, Cormorant - Mick East

10th May

Trimm's Green 4:40-5:30 - Yellow Wagtail - 3, Red-Legged Partridge - 3 pairs, Grey Partridge - 1 pair, Corn Bunting - 2 singing, Linnet - 10+, Swallow, Stock Dove 1, Yellowhammer 1,

Allen's Green - Whitethroat 1, Hare 1 - John Slee

Rye Meads - Hobby 7+, Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Turtle Dove 2, Cetti's Warbler,Grasshopper Warbler - Mick East

8th May

Patmore Heath - Pallid Swift heading south - Mick East

7th May

An early start at Thorley Wash failed to produce anything more exciting than a pair of Common Terns .......... and once again no Groppers!! Same at Tednambury. I was out in the field so to speak for 6 hours but had very little to show for it. And I'm STILL without a Yellow Wag so far this year!! - Dave Sampson

Little Hadham - lesser whitethroat, 2 green woodpeckers, 3 common whitethroat, 1 blackcap, 2 yellowhammers, assorted tits and finches, 2 dunnock, 2 robin, 2 blackbird., Also:7 orange tips, 2 peacocks, 5 speckled wood, 3 swifts over on 8th - Jono Forgham

5th May

Thorley Wash - A garden Warbler; a Blackcap; several C.Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers;several Chiffs and a couple of Wiilow Warblers; a Cuckoo; a Kestrel; a Water Rail screamed; a pair of Linnets (surprisingly uncommon here); several Reed Buntings. Butterflies represented by several Orange Tips; a few Green-veined Whites and Small White; a Holly Blue (my first for the year); and a Peacock or two. - Dave Sampson

Sawbridgeworth church tower - 8 swifts screaming around tower last night about 8.30pm - Jono Forgham

SLRS - Sedge Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, Blackcap, and over in the fields by Pishiobury Park/Bonks Hill a Lesser Whitethroat singing from the top of a hawthorn bush, a Garden Warbler in the next hedgerow, and Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff singing loudly. Otherwise a Greylag with 4 Canada Goose, 3 Gadwall, Swifts, and a Skylark.- John Slee

Debden Park Lake - 1 Little Egret (flew off W at 05:15am)

Coploe Hill - 1m Marsh Harrier (lingering mid-morning), 11+ Common Buzzards, 3+ Hobby, 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (N), 55 Swallows (N), 4 Yellow Wagtails

Chrishall Grange area - 6 Yellow Wagtails, 1m Reed Warbler

Howe Wood, Strethall - 2 Hobby

Newport - 1 Hobby (N) - Stephen Patmore

Thorley Wash, spellbrook (north): - • kestrel 2 (M+F both hunting seperately), Great black backed gull 3 - over north, cuckoo 1 - male on east side of river, swallow 4 - checking out the buildings west (across the road) from the wash, sedge warbler 9 (1 north edge of wallbury, 3 south wash, 3 north wash + 2 more just south of wallbury), whitethroat 12 - minimum. seemingly everwhere! garden warbler 2 (1 singing 50 yards south-east of the railway foot-crossing and another 30 yards south from wallbury footbridge on the herts side) blackcap 6 (5 males, 1 female), chiffchaff 4(5), willow warbler 4, treecreeper 2 - essex side of river, north of Wallbury, linnet 2 - flew out from the trees at the foot-crossing and put down on the grass c.60 yards south-west. - Graeme J Smith

4th May

Bishop's Stortford - Ring-necked Parakeet in my garden for about 30 seconds this evening (approx 6.30 pm; seemed fairly flighty. - Dave Sampson

Thorley - common buzzard 1 - soaring over - Graeme J Smith

Grass marsh opposite SLRS scrape - Whitethroats erupting all over - Kevin Hanrahan

3rd May

Bishop’s Stortford - Three Swifts seen over my house this morning - Tony Moverley

Patmore Heath - House Martins checking Nest sites, Swift 2, Cuckoo - Mick East

Hatfield Forest - Marsh Harrier 1 2nd year male flying north - Jan Hein van Steenis

Trimms green - Grey partridge 1, Yellow Wagtail 7 (6 at morris farm, 1 tharbies), meadow pipit 3, stockdove 7 - east, lesser whitethroat - singing at tharbies - Graeme J Smith

2nd May

north of Much Hadham - Sparrowhawk, Lesser Black-backs (5), 2 Mallard and 2 Canada Goose - all over Swallow, Whitethroat and Blackcaps galore, Cuckoo, GSW, Yellowhammer and a galore number of Dunnock and Skylark all round. 2 Muntjac, Rabbit, Hare - David Arch

Thorley Wash - Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Cuckoo, GSW, Green woodpecker, Kingfisher, Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Mallard, Long tailed Tit, Water Rail - Mick & Brenda East

1st May

Common Buzzard seen soaring over/near my house (Thorley) approx 10.30 a.m. Dave Sampson

Hadham walk (5.00 - 7.30pm) - 2 tawny owls conversing across a field little owl (on wires opposite entrance to Ash Valley G.C.), swallow 1, common whitethroat 3, chiffchaff 4, blackcap 2, RLP 2, grey heron 1 (south)- Jono Forgham

Trims Green area (tetrad TL41T) - Hobby flying south. Plus 5 Yellow Wagtails, good numbers of Yellowhammer, Linnet & Skylark noted & a pair of Little Grebe seen on Tharbies pond.- Tony Moverley

Chrishall/Coploe - 1ad f Marsh Harrier, 1imm m Hen Harrier (same 1CY bird as Tuesday), 6 Common Buzzards, 1 Turtle Dove, 2 Meadow Pipits (late passage birds), 9 Yellow Wagtails, 1m Nightingale (singing), 2m & 4f Greenland Wheatears - Stephen Patmore